Rents are right about where Auburn's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,681 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
April. Asking rents in Auburn usually run 0.7% below trend in April and 1.2% above it in October, about $32 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in Auburn is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in November 2018.
Rent in Auburn changed +6.4% over the year to September 2026. Across the 48 Alabama cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.3%.
Rent in Auburn is 53.1% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 12 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($63,668) is $1,592 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,585); a 4-bedroom is $1,695.
Opelika, 10 miles away, rents for 15% less ($1,437/mo), about $2,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Auburn. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Auburn, AL is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 64.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Auburn, AL has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in Auburn, AL has increased from $1,148 to $1,681, a 46.4% change over five years. Median household income rose from $54,700 to $63,668 between 2021 and 2024, a 16.4% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has grown by 8.0% since 2021, moving from about 74,637 residents to roughly 80,594. Renters now make up 46.9% of households, compared with 49.4% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 64.1% of adults here, versus 59.4% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Auburn, AL reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Auburn on your salary?
At $1,681/mo, how Auburn rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Auburn rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Auburn. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Auburn
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Auburn is $1,681/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $880/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,215/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,045/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,585/mo.
At 32% of local median household income ($63,668/yr), Auburn ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Auburn?
At $1,681/mo, rent takes ~32% of Auburn's median household income ($63,668/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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